Seeking a brief respite from her tightly controlled royal life, Princess Ann sneaks out late at night, only to be discovered by an American journalist who soon realizes he has stumbled upon the story of a lifetime. The next day, the duo zips through Rome on a Vespa, passing the Colosseum and the Altare della Patria without a care in the world. As the eventful day comes to a close, Ann has fallen in love with Joe Bradley.
“Rome. By all means, Rome,” she replies when asked about the city from her European tour she will cherish most. Released nearly 73 years ago, William Wyler’s ‘Roman Holiday‘ resonated with audiences through its touching and realistic portrayal of love. The film propelled Audrey Hepburn to global stardom and earned her the first Oscar of her career. Yet for decades, some have suggested that the romance between Hepburn’s Ann and Gregory Peck‘s Joe may have drawn from the life of a real British royal.
The Real-Life Spark Behind ‘Roman Holiday’
A princess falling in love with a commoner is a trope as old as time, but ‘Roman Holiday’ came out when rumors about Princess Margaret’s love life had been swirling around. It was the summer when a romance between her and Group Captain Peter Townsend took center stage, sparking a scandal across the media sphere.
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On 14 June 1953, The People became the first newspaper to report on the romantic affair. The tabloid’s front page headlined “They must deny it NOW,” warning readers that “scandalous rumors about Princess Margaret are racing around the world.”
Just two months later, the tale of Princess Ann and Joe Bradley appeared on the big screen. The similarities to Margaret and Peter’s relationship were obvious, and whispers of a proposed engagement filled the air. Everyone desperately wanted more information about the real-life royalty.
Though Paramount Studios was disappointed with the movie’s box-office performance in the USA, that didn’t stop thousands of Brits from flocking to see it in cinemas. “No film studio could have bought such publicity,” film critic Alexander Walker said.
But the British public wasn’t the only one to make connections between the real-life romance and the cinematic one. Was Princess Ann actually Princess Margaret under another name?
The concern was so grave that the government instructed Paramount Studios to add a disclaimer confirming that Hepburn’s character wasn’t a member of Britain’s Royal Family. The move was telling because the movie never revealed Ann’s nationality.
The Pairing That Never Made The Screen
‘Roman Holiday’ was in development hell for almost ten years before it ever saw the light of day. Originally intended for production in 1948, it would have featured a young Elizabeth Taylor as Princess Ann and a 44-year-old Cary Grant as Joe Bradley.
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Given that Princess Margaret had already confided in her close friends about her feelings for Peter Townsend during a 1947 tour in South Africa, it becomes tough to rule out the possibility that rumors had reached screenwriters John Dighton and Dalton Trumbo.
Meanwhile, Wyler’s movie had real royal connections, with many aristocrats featuring in the embassy ball scene. The group included Princess Alma Cattaneo as a lady-in-waiting, Sri Lankan Princess Lilamani as the Raikuuari of Khanipur, and Sir Hari Singh.
Singh plays himself as the last ruler of Jammu and Kashmir. Whether by sheer coincidence or whispers, it’s clear that the scandal surrounding Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend brought ‘Roman Holiday’ immense success and gave the film a timeless aura.
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